Leander council approves Oasis rezoning after residents press for karst studies and drainage safeguards

Leander City Council on April 17 voted unanimously to rezone roughly 10.01 acres near the end of Raider Way from SFR-1B (single-family rural) to SFS-2A (single-family suburban), despite lengthy public testimony urging the council to pause rezonings until independent geotechnical and karst studies are completed.

The rezoning request, filed as zoning case Z-24-0151 and described by city staff as consistent with the future land use map and the city’s water-resolution lot-size limits, was recommended for approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Executive Director of Development Services Griffin told the council the zoning change itself does not authorize construction; site-specific engineering — including geotechnical reports, engineered drainage plans and any required traffic studies — must be submitted and approved before developers can receive permits.

Why it matters

A large group of Marbella and nearby homeowners told the council they have experienced sinkholes, persistent yard flooding and chronic drainage problems and asked the city to require mandatory geotechnical or karst assessments before approving further rezoning or permitting in known…